Level: 9
Range: 1" per level of caster
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 3 rounds
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Neg.
Area of Effect: All living creatures in range

By means of
this spell, a stasis field is created about
the spell focus, radiating outwards in
an expanding sphere through solid
rock and other physical or magical barriers
(only an anti-magic shell; prismatic
sphere, or a closed cube- or spherically-shaped
wall of force will stop its
effects), 2" per round, until it reaches a
maximum spherical volume of 1" radius
per level of the caster.

All living creatures
within this field except the caster
and any beings protected as noted
above must save vs. spell or be placed in
suspended animation, whether they
wish to or not. Creatures of level or hit
dice equal to, greater than, or up to
three levels or dice less than the spellcaster
save “at par”; creatures of 4 to
seven dice or levels less than the caster
save at -1, and creatures of even lesser
levels save at an additional -1 penalty
per level less than seven below the caster’s.

The body functions of affected
creatures virtually cease, but they do
not die as a direct result of this state—
nor will they grow older as the years
pass. If a creature in stasis is slain by
another means (physical attack, crushing
or burial or drowning due to physical
changes around the body, and the
like), stasis ends instantly and the body
will decay normally, for the affected
victim only.

The caster requires his or her own
blood (at least nine drops) smeared into
an unbroken ring on any stable surface
(usually stone) of a radius not more
than the overall length of the caster’s
hand (wrist to fingertips), into which
are placed at least six 500-gp value
gems, of any sort. This is the “spell
focus” referred to above. When the
spellcasting is complete, four of these
gems vanish, consumed in the act of
releasing the spell’s power. The rest fuel
the stasis field, and dwindle slowly as
the time passes (roughly 1 year of stasis
being yielded per 10 gp of gem value).
Removal of any gemstone from the circle,
except by its consumption by the
field, or the breaking of the ring itself,
instantly ends the stasis effect, as will
using up all of the gems, but any number
of gems that will fit can be added to
the inside of the ring at any time to
“refuel” the spell, extending its period
of efficacy.

The stasis can be lifted from individual
creatures without harm and without
releasing other creatures under the
same stasis by casting temporal reinstatement
(cf. temporal stasis in the PH) or the reverse
of this spell, Phezult’s awakening
(which requires neither gems nor blood
in its casting, but merely seven drops of
pure or holy water) upon the spell focus
rather than upon individual creatures.

The stasis field shrinks gradually to
nothingness at the same rate at which it
originally expanded, freeing any creatures
formerly within it instantly, and
without any lingering effects as it does
so. No further gemstone material is lost.

Creatures entering the field after it
has reached its full extent, even decades
or centuries after the spell was
cast must save vs. spell to avoid falling
into stasis. The penalties for their level
or hit dice described above apply, but so
does a +3 bonus to the save for any
creature arriving in the field after it has
stabilized at full extent. Such a save
must be made each time a creature
enters the stasis field, even if it has
entered and been unaffected before;
but each creature need save only once
per exposure to a particular sleep of
ages stasis field. Creatures who are
physically removed from such a field
without being magically roused will
wake up by themselves 2-8 rounds after
such removal, with no ill effects; the
casting of a dispel magic will awaken
such beings instantly if cast upon them
when they are outside a field, but physical
means will not hurry the process. A
creature taken out of a stasis field and
then taken back in before awakening
returns to stasis without becoming conscious.
Creatures in stasis who are mentally
contacted by magic or psionics
while within the field do not respond,
and the being contacting them is placed
in stasis (temporary, awakening after 2-
8 rounds as described above) each time
such contact is attempted.
 
 

Book of Thorns

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Books of the Forgotten Realms